My Travels

I'm in San Francisco for some fun. My brother decided to go to the Web 2.0 conference and I found a cheap one way to SF and then take a leisurely drive back to LA at the end of the weekend. This time around I'm staying at a friend's place and give some company. I better enjoy these last minute trips before working again! With no plans or agenda in mind, this "long" weekend will be about tooling around the city and enjoying the good weather. Amazingly, it is sunny and the days are warm enough to walk around with a long sleeve shirt. Once the sun sets, it is pretty brisk with the cold wind around here. Our group went to Tataki on the first night. As their website states, the first sustainable sushi restaurant. As such, the menu varies seasonally. It was a very good dinner, the rolls we ordered were fresh and very tasty as well as being reasonably priced. My two favorite dish presentations were the extinguisher and spicy tempura rolls. One came with real fi...

I'm capping my spring break by being in Phoenix. Althouth LA is warming up, Phoenix is warmer. It is a quick overnight stay in Phoenix which works out as I'm also sick. :( Got a mustang from Avis, feeling pretty righteous especially since I was originally given an Impala that reeked of smoke. I seem to be hitting a string of sports related events with Vegas and March Madness and now Phoenix and spring training. Caught a game between the Dodgers and White Sox at the spring training complex at Camelback Ranch. It was really cool, very nice facilities similar to the Giants Stadium in SF yet very intimate feeling. I think the stadium could only accommodate about 15,000 people. Definitely NOT Dodger stadium size. ;p Budweiser seems to have been a sponsor as I saw the Clydesdale horses. I remember the first time I've seen these horses and they are super cool looking. It is like the Great Dane of horses. The horses were pulling the typical red fire wagon with a Dalmation ...

I'm back at the Las Vegas Hilton with a group of family friends and classmates. I was lucky enough to book a ridiculous rate of $80/night with drink and food specials while it being the first weekend of March Madness. As an added bonus, USC was in the tourney and made it past the first round. The hotel had cancelled my reservation or so they say. Personally, I think they were oversold and was trying to clean out their reservations. Luckily, I didn't have to throw a fit as they quickly honored the reservation. Because of the last minute pile-up of people, it was a cozy room of seven (the second night) in my room. There was some creativity involved but we managed to all fit and work around the space. Or maybe it is a testament to the size of the hotel room. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get upgraded to the "resort" level room but it worked out in the end. The difference I could see between the resort level and the deluxe room was the toiletries (there wa...

It snowed about five feet during the weekdays in June. I decided to have a run up to the mountin, it is definitely the only one in the month of March as I'm busy for the rest of the month and possibly snow season. My brother rallied a group and the six of us trooped up to June Mountain. Luckily, the June Lake Motel had a room we could all easily split. I booked a room with one queen, two twins, and a full working kitchen. Half of the group had never been and was impressed with the quality of accommodations given the price. The snow quality was good, packed and groomed snow. I would have preferred more powder but the snow stopped on Friday and we loat the chance to be boarding on the "next" sunny day of fresh snow. A word of advice when driving up the 395, there are alot of sherriffs and CHPs in Inyo County. My poor sister got two speeding tickets within 40 minutes of each other.

First trip of the year to Vegas. Here for some personal business and decided to stay at the Las Vegas Hilton . I think the LV Hilton had a high occupancy rate for the weekend because NASCAR was in town. On top of that, my rate was a screaming $55/night. How can you beat those prices? The combination proved helpful as I was given an upgrade to the "Resorts Club" level. The room comes with a HP printer and free internet. Ideal for those who'd like to print out directions or there for some work. It is becoming standard that hotel rooms come with plasma/LCD TVs so I won't mention it. :D Overall, a very spacious room and easy to entertain a goup of five people if you wanted. It was very nicely decorated with a view of the Wynn golf course and had an oversized oval bath tub in the bathroom. The toiletries were a different sort than I'm used to seeing at Hilton hotels. Not sure if they are the same soap but in a different bottle. When I checked out, I aske...

Another weather system rolled in again and the call of the snow was too hard to resist. Given that it is a three day holiday weekend, my group stayed in Bishop this time around. I decided to book the cheapest room I could find and it was the Super 8 . Never stayed at one. I also found out it is part of the Wyndham resorts portfolio. The motel is nice for what is offered. Room was very spacious even with double beds, four people would comfortably fit with their snowboard gear. We ate at Upper Crust . It turned out to be a great choice. Situated next to the Vons where it sells pretty cheap gas (and diesel too) and Cliff Bars, if any where in stock. Our meal was simple, chicken wings and pizza. Both were delicious and the service was very friendly and comfortable. A definite stop whenever we go through here again.

Winter storms arrived late this winter and I was unexpectedly given an opportunity to get in some boarding. Went up with my brother and drove through rain and snow to find the mountain blissfully calm and completely covered in powder. It was a quick in and out trip and we stayed at the June Lake Motel . This time around, only a two full bed room with a microwave in the bathroom area. Not as nice as the first time around but sufficient for our breakfast of ramen in the morning. :D The conditions at June was super fabulous and am looking forward to coming back again the following weekend.

I'm visiting New Orleans this weekend. I'm staying at the Westin, nice enough facilities. The hotel is attached to the Canal Shops (a high end mall that doesn't seem to be doing well... ). The rooms are spacious and nicely done, typical Westin style. The one interesting aspect of this hotel is that there is a rooftop pool. I haven't been to New Orleans post-Katrina and was curious if it would still be the same as I remembered. Bourbon street has added some new faces (Hustler seems to be extensively branded here) but alot of the same places were still around. New Orleans is still relatively poor outside of the city center and that hasn't changed. The current economic state seems to have impacted the city as well. I've seen alot of commercial "lease" signs around the area. In general, Bourbon Street is still Bourbon Street for all you alcoholics. I ate at the Bon Ton Cafe and the food was really good. The service was ok, the group I was with c...

I saw on weather.com that there was a snowstorm hitting the area and decided to run up to snowboard and utilize my season pass. Drove up to June Lakes and stayed at the June Lakes Motel . We went straight to the mountain and checked in later that evening. Despite the motel label, the facilities were more than expected. Friendly owners who have two Newfoundlands, the motel was a very comfortable and cozy place. We booked a two bed room with kitchenette, I was expecting a small room but was surprised by the size of the room. The kitchen is the largest kitchenette I've ever seen and fully stocked with all sorts of cookware including a slow cooker. Wireless internet is available at no-charge. The motel is located next door to the General Merchandise market. A word to the wise, it is best to bring food with you as there isn't much in the town and the market will give you sticker price shock. :D

I'm here for a wedding and am now a firm advocate that people should not marry at a time when inclimate weather will affect people's travel plans. I have family coming in stages throughout my time in Seattle and have decided to switch hotels to accommodate the growth and shrinkage of the number of people staying in the city. The first day, I was essentially stuck at LAX. For some reason, the plane I was on had to return back to LAX to resolve some mechanical problems. I wished the plane had dropped us off at SFO instead of LAX as it would have been infinitely easier to get to Seattle from SFO. Instead I was guaranteed a flight that would leave 9 hours later..not so appealing. After navigating the standby scenarios, I made it to Seattle within 12 hours after this whole crazy day started. At least I saved myself 5hours as the guaranteed flight would have gotten me to Seattle at 1 am. Blech. My sister, on the other hand, landed on time in Seattle and went around the city while wai...

In Phoenix for some R&R. I originally intended to be here for work but I've turned it into a personal weekend getaway. I'm staying at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort for the night. I stayed here a couple of years ago and the property is still as I remembered. A very family oriented resort in Phoenix, it has a miniature golf and water slide pool setup here. I'm in a "casita" on the property. They have a mix of regular hotel rooms near the main lobby entrance and townhouse style apts in a side area. The casitas are a perfect place if you want to have a house party without it being at your house. Spacious living room and bar area downstairs and private bedroom and patio area upstairs. Went to NOCA for dinner in Phoenix. I had a very lovely meal, very retro style and retro desserts. As an appetizer and as part of an entree, had the pork belly confit and it was fabulous. A very nice restaurant despite being located in a supermarket plaza. It is the f...

Spent a quick weekend in Vegas in October, decided to enjoy some downtime since I'm free from the trappings of employment. I stayed at the Hilton Las Vegas, it has been about five years since I last stayed here. The rooms haven't changed but the casino floor has changed and the food has dramatically improved. Although the Star Trek symbols is still part of the design element on the marquis, they've changed the actual space to the monorail station. I guess they found more value to turn it into a people mover area rather than a show. I can't say that there are alot of Trekkies going to Vegas. The one big draw the hotel has compared to others is the Sports Booking area. I have never been to another casino that has the kind of amenities the Hilton does for the Sports Book. I can see why my best friend's husband likes to hang out here on the weekends to watch football.

Another weekend foray courtesy of my old employer, I crashed at my friend's parent's condo in downtown Chicago. The building is very reminiscent of a hotel and I almost felt that I was staying in a hotel except for the full kitchen. Spent most of the time watching the 'SC game but was able to grab dinners and play catch up with some friends.

I'm free to roam as I have left my employer. With a paid airfare to New York, my friend graciously lent her living room in Brooklyn Heights for my weekend foray. Having only spent brief moments in Brooklyn, it was nice to see another side of the Big Apple. I had pizza from Grimaldi's and enjoyed a very tasty thin crust NY style pizza. I've also discovered really good pepperoni, not the thick soft slices of meat you see on pizzas normally. These were very crisp (almost bacon like) and have great flavor. I think it was better than Lombardi's in Manhattan.

Time to go home. Our foursome is about to split, the other two people are staying in Hong Kong overnight before heading home. Luckily, I was able to find a hotel last minute. After settling them into their hotel, we went out to Wan Chai and went to an Irish pub. Irony. We also had one of the best burgers Asia could offer. It was nice to have at the end of our trip together. I'm staying at the Conrad Hong Kong on Hong Kong island. Compared to the Intercontinental from a week earlier, it is a very different feel. The room is smaller but nicely done. Very British feel with all the Chinese people have British Chinese accents. I love their afternoon tea service, very good scones! Finished up leftover business - namely my custom tailored suit. Only here for 36 hours and we (now only two of us) leisurely explored Hong Kong island. Alot of high end shopping around here and trendy night scene. On our last night, we went to the trendier area, Lan Kwai Fong. It was a cute area a...

On my final leg of my trip through Asia, I decided Phuket would be a good resting place before the transition to home. I'm staying at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia in the southwestern part of Phuket Island. The property has beach access to Karon Beach and is sandwiched between Kata and Patong Beach. The facilities here are amazing and the room rates can't be beat. At about $100 US per night, this facility has several pools, beach access, soccer facilities, mini-golf facilities, spa, several restaurants and still conveniently located to some local nightlife. My little ragtag group is quite happy to sit and relax in this amazing place. On our first night, we went to Kata Beach which is a little beach town about 10 minutes walking distance. The little stretch of restaurant/bars has an eclectic collection of locals and tourists. My little group came upon an area where we have now nicknamed "Hooker Heights" because there are several little bars crammed into this communa...

I'm back in Vietnam. This time, I'm with friends and have decided to tone down on the spending and be more frugal. Our little entourage picked up a new person to make this a five person group. We parted ways with one person from our travels to date. We stayed at Bich Duyen hotel, it is in the backpacker district. Not quite a hostel, not quite a hotel, it still suited my needs just fine. Stayed for about $10 US per person per night. Prices like that can't be beat. My family was kind enough to take my friends around the city most of the time. Luckily, I was visiting the country when the fruit season is at its peak and stuffed myself with mangosteens, mangoes, and lychees. Caught up on all my favorite foods and got to see some family too. My friends couldn't believe how far the US dollar went in Vietnam. I think everyone tried to consume as much as possible. Of course, a visit to Saigon isn't complete unless you've had pho! It appears that the economy ...

I'm going to be in and out of Hong Kong alot as the city is a destination as well as a hub for my future travels. Hong Kong is very much like New York City. Very cosmopolitan. If you have money, you can enjoy the city very well. If you don't...., well you enjoy being there but working harder to stay afloat. For those who don't speak any Chinese, Hong Kong is very easy to navigate given the British influence. I stayed mostly on the Kowloon side in this stopover. I was housed in the Intercontinental Standford Court hotel in Kowloon. The hotel seemed a little bit older and smaller than the Grand Hyatt in Guangzhou. Given the space constraints and history of the city, I'm not surprised. The breakfast buffet was good, definitely catered to the Western taste. The transit system in Hong Kong is amazingly fast as are the people movers. I don't think any city in the world can beat the speed and efficiency of Hong Kong's system. People around here don't mes...

Not much to the city, probably due to the time I had in this town. I was put up at the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou. The hotel was very nice, it is the only fully built building in the immediate area. From my understanding, the city is building an economic zone where the Hyatt is located. Because the government is developing an economic city center, the hotel is fairly isolated from the rest of the city. It also means that the heart of the city is a five minute taxi ride away. On a bright note, the Hyatt has very nice facilities. I didn’t have the chance to visit the pool or spa facilities but I heard it was really nice. I'm convinced that new Asian hotels must love the modern decor look. This hotel room had sliding walls everywhere which could open up the bathroom and leave it very exposed. I was surprised at the class level of hotel given that we are here for school. AND they love white alot! I didn’t do much sightseeing. The only afternoon free in my schedule was sapped up ...

The group was faced with an arduous task of transversing multiple modes of transportation to get from Tokyo to Guangzhou. We lost one person who was going home instead of travelling with us to Guangzhou. Lucky him!! (or not...) We woke up at 5 am to take a taxi from the hotel to the city bus terminal. Narita is about an hour outside of Tokyo, similar to Dulles and DC. Unfortunately, a direct taxi is about $250 USD. Yikes! Caught the 5:45 am airport bus and got to Narita. Suprisingly, the airport counters were only beginning to open and we had to wait in line. We were travelling on the Star Alliance Asian Airpass. Unfortunately, the direct flight to Guangzhou was not an option with this particular program. We were going to have two flight segments and pssing through Beijing. Ironically, all our picture shots look like we are in the same spot. I guess airlines and buses have the same seat configuration! We went through security and got on our first plane segment to Beijing. ...